Tired of being put on hold? There’s an app for that

WASHINGTON – It happens to everyone and can eat up precious minutes — even hours — of a day: being put on hold on the phone for what seems like forever.

No matter how much phone trees improve, many people become frustrated when they’re left listening to mindless music, wondering whether they’ll ever be able to resolve a bill or get the service they need.

Fortunately, some companies are working on solutions to the problem.

A service called FastCustomer offers an app that allows you to call more than 3,000 companies — including Verizon. It automatically goes through the phone tree and connects you to a person, Smartmoney reports.

FastCustomer’s co-founder, Steph Hay, tells Smartmoney the app has become very popular when people call cable companies, wireless phone companies and airlines.

Another service is LucyPhone, which takes a different route. When a caller is put on hold, he or she can enter a code on the keypad and hang up. The app then calls back when a company representative actually answers the phone.